Running Rich

What are some of items to look at if the car is running rich?

[This message has been edited by Alaskanzeus (edited 02-13-2004).]

TPS voltage too high, making EEC think throttle is open farther than it really is.

VAF door opening more than it should for a given air flow, making EEC think more air in going in than actually is. Due to weak spring on VAF door, or someone messing with the spring tension setting.

BARO reporting incorrect air pressure info to EEC

VAT reporting incorrect air temp info to EEC

ECT resistance out of range, causing EEC to think engine is cold when it really isnt. Along with this is the small coolant passage in lower intake pointing to driver side fender is plugged up with crud, causing low or no coolant flow over the ECT (common problem).

Bad / contaminated 02 sensor

Leaking injector or injectors

Fuel pressure too high

FPR diaphram ruptured causing gas to get sucked into intake (relatively common)

I probably missed a few!!

Are you getting either a KOEO CM code 42, or a KOER code 42?

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Jeff Korn

88 Turbo Coupe: Intake and exhaust mods, T3 turbo at 21 psi, forced air intercooler, water injection, bypass valve, Ranger roller cam, subframes, etc., etc.. // 86 Tbird 5.0 (original owner): intake, exhaust, valvetrain mods, 100 HP nitrous, ignition, gears, suspension, etc., etc.... // 91 Escort: Bone stock winter car // 02 Taurus Vulcan(wifes car)

No mechanic said its running rich, spark plugs have high carbon deposit (black), you can smell the fuel sometimes and a foul smell from cat. May be bad cat but obvious its running rich

If it is that rich, you should be getting a code (either 41 or 42, depending on the exact problem) during the KOER test.

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Jeff Korn

88 Turbo Coupe: Intake and exhaust mods, T3 turbo at 21 psi, forced air intercooler, water injection, bypass valve, Ranger roller cam, subframes, etc., etc.. // 86 Tbird 5.0 (original owner): intake, exhaust, valvetrain mods, 100 HP nitrous, ignition, gears, suspension, etc., etc.... // 91 Escort: Bone stock winter car // 02 Taurus Vulcan(wifes car)

Well i had it in the shop all day only charged me an hour said he was having fun tinkering. Found the Fuel Pressure Regulator was close to being disconnected and was pinched. Vacuum hose was clogged with carbon and the MAP sensor is sending a message to run the system rich. Got to bring it back on Monday he wants to check out whats going on with the MAP. Checked tps said it and the timing are right on.

It seems to be driving better, still acts like its flooding out when i turn the key. Starts then floods out right away, restart, then cranks over quite a bit before it starts. Can by pass by just continueing to crank even after it seems like it starts the first time, give it a few more cranks then it starts up fine, but if i just start it once and stop cranking when it seems like its going to start, it just dies.

Our cars dont have a MAP (manifold absolute pressure) sensor, our cars have a BARO (barometric presure) sensor. While a MAP and BARO are essentially the same in appearance and electrically, they serve totally different functions. A MAP is connected to intake vacuum and provides engine load info to EEC. MAP is used on speed density fuel control systems. BARO tells the EEC atmospheric pressure (basically altitude) on mass air flow systems such as ours. The BARO sensor should be left open to the air, NOT connected to vacuum!!! It even has a little plastic thing on the port to try to prevent someone from putting a vac hose on it. If the BARO is connected to vac, the car will run like total CRAP! If the mechanic doesnt know the difference between a MAP and BARO, get a different mechanic.

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Jeff Korn

88 Turbo Coupe: Intake and exhaust mods, T3 turbo at 21 psi, forced air intercooler, water injection, bypass valve, Ranger roller cam, subframes, etc., etc.. // 86 Tbird 5.0 (original owner): intake, exhaust, valvetrain mods, 100 HP nitrous, ignition, gears, suspension, etc., etc.... // 91 Escort: Bone stock winter car // 02 Taurus Vulcan(wifes car)

Originally posted by Alaskanzeus:
Well i had it in the shop all day only charged me an hour said he was having fun tinkering.

This would scare me, someone having fun with my baby.
I'm with Jeff on this one.

Well when he said the tps is right on at .6 i knew he wasnt on the same page. Down side is I live in a place where new cars are the market, theres very few older cars around and little that would know anything about them if I did. Im guess if the tps is at .6 like he said that would be a very good place to start.